Stratasys Accuses Bambu Lab of Infringing 10 Patents
The American-Israeli 3D printing giant has launched a patent war against the fastest-growing startup in the desktop 3D printer industry
On August 8, 2024, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the invention of 3D printing. Stratasys chose this significant date to initiate another patent war, this time against the most rapidly developing company in the global 3D printing industry—China’s Bambu Lab.
Stratasys Ltd. filed a lawsuit against five Chinese companies, alleging that they infringed on 10 patents by developing and selling 3D printers under the Bambu Lab brand. Two notice letters were sent on August 5 to:
Beijing Tiertime Technology Co.
Beijing Yinhua Laser Rapid Prototyping and Mould Technology Co.
Shanghai Lunkuo Technology Co.
Shenzhen Tuozhu Technology Co.,
including Tuozhu units Bambulab Ltd. and Tuozhu Technology Ltd.
On August 8, two lawsuits were filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, where Bambu Lab's American headquarters is registered.
In the first lawsuit, Stratasys accuses Bambu Lab of infringing the following patents:
US9421713B2 - Additive manufacturing method for printing three-dimensional parts with purge towers
US9592660B2 - Heated build platform and system for three-dimensional printing methods
US7555357B2 - Method for building three-dimensional objects with extrusion-based layered deposition systems
US9168698B2 - Three-dimensional printer with force detection
US10556381B2 - Three-dimensional printer with force detection
In summary, the basis of the lawsuit includes the heated build platform, the creation of "purge towers" used for cleaning the print head, and calibration systems for aligning the print head with the build platform.
All the patents—except for the third—were filed between 2013 and 2015 and granted three years later (the third patent was filed in 2006 and granted in 2009). The fourth and fifth patents were filed and received by MakerBot, which has been owned by Stratasys since 2013.
Patents 1-2 and 4-5 are set to expire in the mid-2030s.
In the second lawsuit, Stratasys accuses Bambu Lab of infringing the following patents:
US10569466B2 - Tagged build material for three-dimensional printing
US11167464B2 - Same as above
US8747097B2 - Networked three-dimensional printer with three-dimensional scanner
US11886774B2 - Detection and use of printer configuration information
US8562324B2 - Networked three-dimensional printing.
This lawsuit primarily concerns wireless communication, the recording of 3D printer operations via video camera, and tagging filament spools with tags that the 3D printer recognizes upon installation.
All the patents—except for the fourth—were filed and granted to MakerBot (the fourth by Stratasys). These were filed in 2018, 2020, 2012, 2022, and 2012, respectively. All are set to expire in the early 2030s.
The case is complex and will undoubtedly develop further. Considering the historical context—something similar occurred between Stratasys and another Chinese company ten years ago—the final outcome remains uncertain.
Three quick comments to start:
Good news for Bambu Lab - If Stratasys is suing you and doing so in such a concentrated manner, it’s a sign you’re doing something right. These patents, which Stratasys is accusing the Chinese company of infringing, were likely hoarded specifically for this occasion. Bambu Lab became the target because it started posing a serious threat.
Bad news for Bambu Lab - The patents in the second lawsuit don’t look favorable concerning their solutions. While some are debatable (like US10569466B2 - “Tagged build material for three-dimensional printing,” filed in 2018, despite Ultimaker using a similar solution in 2016 with their model 3), others will be difficult to defend.
Bad news for other companies - If the patent on a heated build platform for FFF-type 3D printers is upheld, the American market could face significant disruption.
But don’t worry... As I mentioned earlier, this has all happened before. I’ll soon return with the historical background and a more detailed analysis of the disputed patents.
Oh, and if this is your first time watching this—this isn’t just a film, it’s the pilot of a series that will have at least three seasons. It would be great if it concludes by Christmas 2025.